In televised interview, Hezbollah chief claims explosion that injured four soldiers was result of planned attack by Hezbollah which was expecting the soldiers, vows to 'cut the feet that violate Lebanese territory'

Roi Kais|Published: 14.08.13 , 23:03

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah
addressed last week's incident, in which four IDF
soldiers sustained injuries as a result of a blast near the border fence, during a televised interview on the Hezbollah-affiliated
Al Mayadeen channel, and rejected the claim that the blast was a result of a mine left behind from previous wars in the region.

Nasrallah insisted that the explosion was executed by the Hezbollah. "Hezbollah had intelligence information that Israel
is to enter the region and the explosives laid there were new ones."

Reports in Lebanon
about the incident noted that Israeli soldiers had penetrated some 400 meters into Lebanon. In the interview, Nasrallah claimed there were two different IDF teams in Lebanon that day, one in charge of the mission and the other in charge of protecting the first. According to him, there were also two different explosions, one targeting the Golani forces and the other targeting the additional unit.

"This area was monitored by Hezbollah and we received confirmation that an Israeli patrol would enter the area, so we planted explosives there.

"This operation will not be the last; we will not be lenient with those who violate our land. Whenever we feel that the Israelis have entered Lebanese soil, we will act. We will cut the feet that violate Lebanese territory, and this is our right.

Nasrallah slammed the government in Beirut and UNIFIL which are supposed to deal with infringements on Lebanon's sovereignty: "President Michel Suleiman asked that a complaint be filed against Israel for the latest violation.

"I'm not surprised," he added, "there are some in Lebanon who do not even consider Israel an enemy."

Marking seven years to the Second Lebanon War,
Nasrallah said: "There is consensus among the Israelis that what happened in this war was a historic defeat for Israel. We were prepared for a war that would last for at least six months. Our logistic power was stronger than what we used in the war."

Changing topics, the Shiite terror leader claimed that on two different occasions – the 2000 Mount Dov soldier kidnapping and the Second Lebanon War in 2006 – the international community "offered to give us money and other benefits in exchange for committing to cease fighting Israel, but we rejected this offer."

'Operational activity'

The detonation of an explosive device led to the injury of four IDF soldiers in Lebanon early last Wednesday morning, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
said during a tour of south Israel, adding that the army was examining the circumstances of the incident.

Israel has yet to officially comment on the incident, but Ya'alon said the soldiers were wounded during "operational activity meant to preserve the calm for the northern communities in particular and for the residents of Israel in general.

Ya'alon said that during the activity, the force's movement activated an explosive device. "We're investigating the incident to determine whether the device was new or old," he said.

"Of course, we will draw the necessary lessons, but the activity will continue for the sake of the security of Israel's residents."

The Israeli soldiers sustained light to moderate wounds in the pre-dawn blast.